The Galleon was built in 1926 as a real estate office to attract buyers to the Neptune's Gardens development. It was built as a replica of Christopher Columbus' Santa Maria. It was also known as the Absecon Beach Camp. There was also a miniature version of the Absecon lighthouse. The ship was originally built on wetlands and accessed by a wooden plank walkway. At that time, there was evidently a seafood restaurant in the building as well. When the real estate market bottomed out, the building was moved three miles away. It was used as an Atlantic gas station but I'm not sure at which location. It was also used for various shops, restaurants, and offices over the years.

Towards the end, it housed a seldom-open antiques shop. In the late 1980s or early 1990s, the building was painted white with light blue trim. This was the last of three ship real estate offices built. One of these was for the Pirate Ship Realty Co. in Cliffwood Beach, NJ which was destroyed by fire in 1993. The ship in Absecon was demolished in 2009. I don't know where the third ship was located or what happened to it. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.

The Nevada Landing Hotel & Casino opened in 1989 and had 303 rooms. It resembled two riverboats with a connecting building between them. It closed in 2007 and was demolished in 2008.

Colorado BelleLaughlin, NV

The Colorado Belle was built to resemble a Mississippi River paddle wheel riverboat. It is located next to the Colorado River. The casino and hotel opened in 1987. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Captain Bill's Seneca Lake Cruises, a sightseeing boat company, was established in 1963. This faux ship is located next to Lake Seneca. [map]

More New York Ship-Shaped Buildings:Showboat Motel: 1, 2 (Himrod)
House (Morehouse)

America's Car WashCleveland, OH

America's Car Wash was built in 1984 with a ship-like facade. This bright color scheme is from 2006. This photo is from 2009. The building was repainted red, white and blue around 2014. [map]

Pirate ShipGlendale, OR

This Pirate Ship facade at Glendale High School was built in 2000. The school's mascot is a pirate. [map]

Fulton Steamboat InnLancaster, PA

The Fulton Steamboat Inn, built around 1990, is a full-sized replica of a riverboat. It is located on the Lincoln Highway, just a few miles from the birthplace of Robert Fulton. For more, see this website. [map]

Riverboat SaloonShartlesville, PA

The Riverboat Saloon is an example of a "real" ship placed far from the water. Built in 1980 in MN, the "Suwannee Belle" was used off the coast of NJ and NY before being decommissioned in 1991. There was a failed attempt to turn it into a restaurant and it was later moved to Tuckahoe, NJ. It then sat in storage until 2003 when it was bought and brought to this spot. The owner of the Towne Crier Cafe next door wanted to put it in a pond with a beach and use the boat as a tiki bar. Apparently, those plans never materialized. In 2006, the restaurant next to the ship reopened as the "Riverboat Saloon". The first two photos are from 2006. The third photo is from 2012 when the ship had weathered a bit. [map]

Copyright. All photos at this website are copyrighted and may only be used with my consent. This includes posting them at Facebook, Pinterest, blogs, other websites, personal use, etc.

Tips & Updates. If you have suggestions about places that I haven't covered, historical info, or updates about places/things that have been remodeled or removed, I'd love to hear from you: roadarch@outlook.com.